


Actions Speak Louder

by DarthTella



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Ficlet, Fluff and Angst, Hugs, Ten/Rose - Freeform, perhaps a kiss at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-16 18:08:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16958958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthTella/pseuds/DarthTella
Summary: Rose noticed that there were two different types of hugs the Doctor would give her and she finally deciphered the pattern.





	Actions Speak Louder

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a gifset I saw on Tumblr, and I suddenly realised the Doctor hugs Rose differently depending on the situation.

Rose had noticed a pattern.  She and the Doctor hugged a lot and they barely needed a reason to anymore.  But it didn’t take her long to realise that there were two different types of hugs.  The celebratory hug, or as she liked to call it the “yay, we didn’t die today” hug, involved her throwing her arms around his neck while he wrapped his arms around her middle.  Sometimes he’d even pick her up and twirl her around during those laughing the entire time. She loved that.

Then there was the second type, the one where the Doctor would walk up to her without saying anything and wrap his arms around her shoulders and she have her arms around his waist.  He’d hold her just a bit tighter, and the hug would last just a bit longer. This is where Rose saw the pattern: he only gave her these kinds of hugs when he was worried about something.   And this was the kind of hug that Rose was currently experiencing.

It really seemed apropos of nothing.  Usually the reasons why he was worried were obvious, like her walking into a Cyber-factory without him or stuck in orbit around a black hole without the TARDIS.  Now, he had given her a somewhat subdued smile as he finished fiddling with the TARDIS controls in order to get them into the vortex. Then he just stepped up and pulled her to him without saying a word.  Rose just allowed herself to enjoy the moment at first. His arms were strong and steady. And even though his body temperature was far cooler than hers, she always felt warm and content.

She breathed in his scent and it still boggled her mind just how much she loved that odd combo of chalk dust, boiled sweets, lime, diesel and whatever product it was he used to style his hair this time around.  It was very unique, just like him. All she had to do is get a whiff of it and she felt safe. She snuggled into him, resting her head in the crook of his neck.

They stayed that way in comfortable silence for a long moment, and Rose marvelled how his dual heartbeat started to beat in time with her single one.

“What's wrong?”  She finally asked gently.  He didn't answer straight away.  His arms tightened around her, shifting so that one of his hands was cradling her head.

“Nothing.”  He finally murmured.  Rose shook her head, her nose catching slightly on the collar of the Doctor's pale blue oxford.  She pushed on his chest gently so she could look him in the eye. She caught a glimpse of the worry that was etched on his face, but he quickly schooled his face into a more neutral expression.

“Doctor.”  Her voice was ever so slightly reproving.  His eyes dropped from hers.

“I can’t fool you, huh?”  His lip curled up in a self-deprecating grin.  Rose shook her head again.

“Nope.”  She replied, popping the ‘p’ as he was wont to do.  He snorted in amusement, his grin growing wider. Rose smiled back, but she couldn’t keep her worry for him off her face.  She couldn’t help the way her breath hitched as he cupped her cheeks in his hands and rested his forehead against hers. Rose wasn’t sure she could trust her voice at that moment, but she still had to say something.  The Doctor spoke first.

“I want to believe the Beast lied, but…”  She heard his jaw click shut as he swallowed.

“And I told you nothing’s ever gonna split us up.  So who do you believe more? Whatever storm you feel is approaching, I’m sure we can weather it.  We’ve faced worse, yeah?”

It was the Doctor who pulled back this time.  Rose gazed at his face and could see past the young man he feigned to be and saw him as the nine-hundred-year-old being he truly was.  All that loss. But through all that, she saw the hope that she could be…

Her thoughts were completely derailed as he leaned back in and kissed her softly.  If his arms weren’t already holding her steady, she was sure she would’ve melted right down into the grating beneath their feet.  She made an involuntary noise of displeasure as he broke the kiss far too soon for her liking. But he didn’t go far.

“I don’t want to lose you.”  He whispered against her lips.     

“You won’t.  I promise.” She replied.

“Rose Tyler, I…” she could tell the words were getting caught in his throat, so afraid that if he said them she would be ripped away from him.  She closed the scant distance between them and kissed him once more, letting her actions speak for her just like his always did.

_ I love you too, my Doctor. _

**Author's Note:**

> And then Doomsday never happened and they lived happily ever after.
> 
> That's how it happened, right?


End file.
